Bill Belichick, the 72-year-old former longtime head coach of the New England Patriots and winner of a record six Super Bowls as head coach, just accepted a role as head coach of the football program of the University of North Carolina. Everyone seems to think that, by choosing a college role instead of another NFL…
I’ve been talking with several highly skilled professionals who are preparing to leave their companies at the end of their careers. Some are ready to retire. Others aren’t sure. My advice is: keep your options open. If you’re done working for a company but still feel like you have something to offer, it’s easy to…
Honest-to-freaking-God, I don’t want to stop working. There’s no reason to retire. Working is rewarding, and I’m still capable of being creative and useful. Why would I let all that experience and creativity go to waste? I’ll tell you what I’m letting go of. Multitasking. My workload now is set up so that I can…
This is the first Independence Day of what is supposed to be my old age (65). But . . . After decades of working, my network is huge. My reputation is strong. My health insurance is almost free (thanks, Medicare). My body is fine. My mind is active. My work is rewarding. My kids are…
Imagine your retirement. What are you doing? Traveling around and hanging out with grandchildren? Sounds boring to me. Sure, after the end of a frenetic work life, it sounds attractive to have few actual responsibilities. You can think of it as a longer vacation. But people who are active workers, thinkers, and problem-solvers aren’t likely…
Newsletter week 15: lesson about the ego. This week’s offering is a little different. No news, no recommendations. Just reflections on my 65th birthday. That’s right. I’m 65 today so I’m going to retire. Just kidding. If you know me at all, you know I’m not slowing down. If you are 65 and you’ve had…
Tom Brady, the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, announced yesterday that he was retiring, “for good.” Bullshit. Oh, sure, there were a thousand headlines about it and unlike last year at this time, it appears Tom actually won’t be playing in the National Football League any more. But he’s not retiring. Is he going…
The Atlantic has a fascinating piece by Arthur C. Brooks called “Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think.” It forces you to face the inevitable: you won’t always be as good as you are now, and no, you won’t keep getting better. Here’s what to do about it. As Brooks, president of…
At age 57, I voluntarily left a good job to do something I thought would be better. Are you ready to do the same? I know there are lots of you who are at the beginnings of your careers. You may want to stick with the company you work for, or the gigs you are…